--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He always had trouble opening his heart…" description: "\"“He always had trouble opening his heart. Tonight it was stuck again. It was a wooden chest secured by locked iron bands. An army duffel, rusted zipper..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/237/louise-erdrich-1271_heart_he-always-had-trouble-opening-his-heart_2089208.png" --- # He always had trouble opening his heart. Tonight it was… ![“He always had trouble opening his heart. Tonight it was stuck again. It was a wooden chest secured by locked iron bands. An army duffel, rusted zipper. Kitchen cupboards glued shut. Tabernacle. Desk. Closet. He had to wedge apart doors, lift covers. He was always disappointed to find a drab or…” quote by Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/237/louise-erdrich-1271_heart_he-always-had-trouble-opening-his-heart_2089208.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/237/louise-erdrich-1271_heart_he-always-had-trouble-opening-his-heart_2089208.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/237/louise-erdrich-1271_heart_he-always-had-trouble-opening-his-heart_2089208.png) > ““He always had trouble opening his heart. Tonight it was stuck again. It was a wooden chest secured by locked iron bands. An army duffel, rusted zipper. Kitchen cupboards glued shut. Tabernacle. Desk. Closet. He had to wedge apart doors, lift covers. He was always disappointed to find a drab or menacing interior. To make a welcoming place of his heart was mentally slippery work. Sometimes cleaning was involved, rearrangements. He had to dust. He had to throw out old junk to make room.”” [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Opening one's heart is a difficult, ongoing process that requires clearing clutter and confronting inner barriers. **In simple terms:** Opening the heart is hard work. Key Takeaway Regularly clear emotional baggage. Themes vulnerability self‑care growth Mood introspective empathetic Type psychological inspirational When to use this quote - therapy - journaling - relationship building - personal reflection Key Concepts Psychology emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - What inner barriers hold you back? - How can you gently clear emotional clutter? A Different Perspective Emotional work can be painful and may not always yield immediate comfort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Heart Mentally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-mentally-4121769/) [Opening Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opening-heart/) [Place Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/place-heart/) [Wooden Chest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wooden-chest-4121770/) ## Related quotes > [“Yoga isn’t just about showing up on the mat. It’s about showing up in your life, in your day; it’s about opening your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-e-livingston/yoga-isn-t-just-about-showing-up-on-the-mat-it-s-about-showing-up-in/) [Kathryn E. Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-e-livingston/) > [Opening your heart and being courageous and telling people that you care about them or like them or that you think they're special only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/opening-your-heart-and-being-courageous-and-telling-people-that-you/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [“The suffering that started off challenging our being and our ideas of what life is and should be ends up opening our heart, expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-suffering-that-started-off-challenging-our-being-and-our-ideas-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Compassion is the solution to all our personal conflicts. It only takes is one person opening his heart to move another to do the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/compassion-is-the-solution-to-all-our-personal-conflicts-it-only/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude opens your heart, and opening your heart is a wonderful and easy way for God to slip in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/gratitude-opens-your-heart-and-opening-your-heart-is-a-wonderful-and/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [“If you’ve an opening in your heart you’ll see The sun’s bright rays wherever you may be— In everything God can be seen through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jalaluddin-rumi/if-you-ve-an-opening-in-your-heart-you-ll-see-the-sun-s-bright-rays/) [Jalaluddin Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jalaluddin-rumi/) > [“You say you are ready to deliver your knowledge to another person. You want to hold the Truth in your palm as if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-shafak/you-say-you-are-ready-to-deliver-your-knowledge-to-another-person-you/) [Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-shafak/) > [ So the best thing is to really work on yourself and opening your own heart and just letting all that stuff \[worrying\] go. And… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/so-the-best-thing-is-to-really-work-on-yourself-and-opening-your-own/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [The true meaning of an artist/actor is opening my heart to the audience and, at the same time, opening their heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cabral/the-true-meaning-of-an-artist-actor-is-opening-my-heart-to-the/) [Richard Cabral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cabral/) > [A simple smile. That's the start of opening your heart and being compassionate to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/a-simple-smile-that-s-the-start-of-opening-your-heart-and-being/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [One of the things I love about yoga is that it brings you into the present moment. You aren't worried about what will happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-franti/one-of-the-things-i-love-about-yoga-is-that-it-brings-you-into-the/) [Michael Franti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-franti/) > [But I also meant that loving someone really opening your heart to them is just asking to have your heart smashed and handed back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-tiernan/but-i-also-meant-that-loving-someone-really-opening-your-heart-to/) [Cate Tiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-tiernan/) > [Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coral-joseph/simple-things-bring-them-to-mind-like-a-pale-blue-sky-gentle-wind-or/) [Coral Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coral-joseph/) > [“... I consciously closed down my energy. He instantly left me alone. I learned a powerful lesson that day. When you open up your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-hanson-lasater/i-consciously-closed-down-my-energy-he-instantly-left-me-alone-i/) [Judith Hanson Lasater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-hanson-lasater/) > [I want to continue to encourage as many people as I can to open their hearts to life, because if I know anything for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-want-to-continue-to-encourage-as-many-people-as-i-can-to-open-their/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) ## More by Louise Erdrich > [Can you stop your mother from singing to you? Who would do such a thing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/can-you-stop-your-mother-from-singing-to-you-who-would-do-such-a-thing/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [“Emotions unreel in her like spools of cotton.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/emotions-unreel-in-her-like-spools-of-cotton/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [“Other freshmen were already moving into their dormitory rooms when we arrived, with their parents helping haul. I saw boxes of paperbacks, stereo equipment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/other-freshmen-were-already-moving-into-their-dormitory-rooms-when-we/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [My father is my biggest literary influence. Recently, I've been looking through his letters. He was in the National Guard when I was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/my-father-is-my-biggest-literary-influence-recently-i-ve-been-looking/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [What is this life but the sound of an appalling love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/what-is-this-life-but-the-sound-of-an-appalling-love/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [Looking at the shape of the world, I see how we're in a time where women are the subject of hatred, fear, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/looking-at-the-shape-of-the-world-i-see-how-we-re-in-a-time-where/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [She had always been a reader… but now she was obsessed. Since her discovery of the book hoard downstairs from her job, she’d been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/she-had-always-been-a-reader-but-now-she-was-obsessed-since-her/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [Time was rushing around me like water around a big wet rock. The only difference is, I was not so durable as stones. Very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/time-was-rushing-around-me-like-water-around-a-big-wet-rock-the-only/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [The greatest wisdom doesn't know itself. The richest plan is not to have one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/the-greatest-wisdom-doesn-t-know-itself-the-richest-plan-is-not-to/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [“Delphine began to read with a mad attention when she wanted to talk to Clarisse. She saw that in her life there was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/delphine-began-to-read-with-a-mad-attention-when-she-wanted-to-talk/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [But if there was embellishment, it only had to do with the facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/but-if-there-was-embellishment-it-only-had-to-do-with-the-facts/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [Things which do not grow and change are dead things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/things-which-do-not-grow-and-change-are-dead-things/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [I have to write. I have to be an artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/i-have-to-write-i-have-to-be-an-artist/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [“The Creator made us for each other. Me here. Zelia there. Space was put between us by human error. But our hearts listened to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/the-creator-made-us-for-each-other-me-here-zelia-there-space-was-put/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [So many things in the world have happened before. But it's like they never did. Every new thing that happens to a person, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/so-many-things-in-the-world-have-happened-before-but-it-s-like-they/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) [Explore all 262 Louise Erdrich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) ## More Heart quotes > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“He held her like a new woman and what she felt felt almost as good as love had, and each of them called it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/he-held-her-like-a-new-woman-and-what-she-felt-felt-almost-as-good-as/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [My heart jumps out of its cage to see what the fuss is about. Damn thing. Always so hopeful, but my voice hides it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wylie/my-heart-jumps-out-of-its-cage-to-see-what-the-fuss-is-about-damn/) [Sarah Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wylie/) > [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/) [Rena Kornreich Gelissen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rena-kornreich-gelissen/) > [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/) [Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/) > [My father longed for a better life for us, and when I was nine he got a job as a heart surgeon in Belfast.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-melua/my-father-longed-for-a-better-life-for-us-and-when-i-was-nine-he-got/) [Katie Melua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-melua/) > [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Love will fan the flame, and that flame will warm the heart that's waiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-w-smith/love-will-fan-the-flame-and-that-flame-will-warm-the-heart-that-s/) [Michael W. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-w-smith/) > [Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennadius-of-constantinople/always-have-the-fear-of-god-in-your-heart-and-remember-that-god-is/) [Gennadius of Constantinople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennadius-of-constantinople/) > [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) [Browse all 45,172 Heart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He always had trouble opening his heart. Tonight it was stuck again. It was a wooden chest secured by locked iron bands. An army duffel, rusted zipper. Kitchen cupboards glued shut. Tabernacle. Desk. Closet. He had to wedge apart doors, lift covers. He was always disappointed to find a drab or menacing interior. To make a welcoming place of his heart was mentally slippery work. Sometimes cleaning was involved, rearrangements. 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